274 THE FLORIST. 



rod system, i. e., a young shoot carried up from the bottom of each Vine 

 yearly, for producing the crop the next season ; the Vine is cut away 

 after the fruit is gathered, and the young cane has then room to ripen 

 its wood for the coming season ; most abundant and regular crops are 

 obtained by this practice, which is now rarely followed. Pines, Melons, 

 Strawberries, and all the requisites for a large family, are Ukewise 

 largely grown. Abutting on the north-east side of the kitchen garden 

 is the old American ground, where the first attempt to grow 

 American plants was made ; these grounds now contain fine speci- 

 mens of all the leading kinds of Magnolias, many of which have 

 attained the size of large trees, and are yearly covered with bloom ; 

 besides which are all the older kinds of Rhododendrons, Azaleas, 

 Vacciniums, Andromedas, and various other plants which were rarities 

 at the time this garden was made, and many of which have now 

 assumed the form of trees. Following the outside of the garden we 

 next reach the Magnolia wall, of very considerable length, and entirely 

 covered ^vith the Exmouth variety of Magnolia. This wall has a 

 south-east aspect, and although the plants suffered during the past 

 winter, they were (in June) pushing vigorously and give promise for a 

 fine show of blooms. Nothing of the kind can be finer than this long 

 length of wall in September, when the Magnolias are covered with 

 hundreds of their fi-agrant blossoms. 



A high bank of the commoner kinds of Rhododendrons runs parallel to 

 this wall, many of the plants being twenty-five feet high, and forming 

 an impenetrable thicket, and completely hiding the garden wall from 

 the adjoining grounds. 



The kitchen garden and gi'ounds just described are to the east of 

 the mansion, which is a modern structure of considerable architectural 

 merit, and has been erected on the site of the old mansion, which 

 was taken doA\Ti to make room for the present one. The centre and 

 west wing of the new house are only yet completed. The wing consists 

 of a conservatory and Orangery, forming a curve, and extending con- 

 siderably to the westward. The new flower garden occupies the space 

 immediately in front of this wing, and the west fi-ont of the mansion. 

 The space thus partly enclosed was too large for a display solely of 

 bedding out plants ; and Mr. Burn has taken advantage of this to 

 introduce masses of his newer Rhododendrons, Azaleas, and Kalmias, 

 which form an admirable background for the ordinary flower garden 

 plants, and which produce a charming effect in early summer before 

 the latter get into bloom. In addition various ornamental trees and 

 shrubs have been planted in appropriate positions, and which now form 

 handsome specimens. We noticed among others Abies clanbrasiliana, 

 20 feet in circumference and 4 feet high ; Araucaria imbricata, 23 feet 

 high, a fine proportioned tree ; several fine Swedish Junipers ; an 

 upright silvery leaved species, very ornamental; Kalmia latifolia, 

 40 feet in circumference and 7 feet high. Some single specimens of 

 hybrid Azaleas of great size ; nothing can exceed the glomng tints of 

 these when covered vdth. bloom ; they are principally hybrids fi-om 

 calendulacea and coccinea. We measured one and found it to be 

 50 feet in circumference and 8 feet high ; several others were nearly as 



